arXiv subjects

Mikhail V. Medvedev

Publications and source records attributed to Mikhail V. Medvedev.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

A key to the spectral variability of prompt GRBs

We demonstrate that the rapid spectral variability of prompt GRBs is an inherent property of radiation emitted from shock-generated, highly anisotropic small-scale magnetic fields. We interpret the hard-to-soft evolution and the correlation of the soft index $α$ with the photon flux observed in GRBs as a combined effect of temporal variation of the shock viewing angle and relativistic aberration of an individual thin, instantaneously illuminated shell. The model predicts that about a quarter of time-resolved spectra should have hard spectra, violating the synchrotron $α=-2/3$ limit. The model also naturally explains why the peak of the distribution of $α$ is at $α\sim-1$. The presence of a low-energy break in the jitter spectrum at oblique angles also explains the appearance of a soft X-ray component in some GRBs and their paucity. We emphasize that our theory is based solely on the first principles and contains no ad hoc (phenomenological) assumptions.

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arXiv2005

Cluster magnetic fields from large-scale-structure and galaxy-cluster shocks

The origin of the micro-Gauss magnetic fields in galaxy clusters is one of the outstanding problem of modern cosmology. We have performed three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the nonrelativistic Weibel instability in an electron-proton plasma, in conditions typical of cosmological shocks. These simulations indicate that cluster fields could have been produced by shocks propagating through the intergalactic medium during the formation of large-scale structure or by shocks within the cluster. The strengths of the shock-generated fields range from tens of nano-Gauss in the intercluster medium to a few micro-Gauss inside galaxy clusters.

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arXiv2005

The theory of spectral evolution of the GRB prompt emission

We develop the theory of jitter radiation from GRB shocks containing small-scale magnetic fields and propagating at an angle with respect to the line of sight. We demonstrate that the spectra vary considerably: the low-energy photon index, $α$, ranges from 0 to -1 as the apparent viewing angle goes from 0 to $π/2$. Thus, we interpret the hard-to-soft evolution and the correlation of $α$ with the photon flux observed in GRBs as a combined effect of temporal variation of the viewing angle and relativistic aberration of an individual thin, instantaneously illuminated shell. The model predicts that about a quarter of time-resolved spectra should have hard spectra, violating the synchrotron $α=-2/3$ line of death. The model also naturally explains why the peak of the distribution of $α$ is at $α\approx-1$. The presence of a low-energy break in the jitter spectrum at oblique angles also explains the appearance of a soft X-ray component in some GRBs and a relatively small number of them. We emphasize that our theory is based solely on the first principles and contains no {\it ad hoc} (phenomenological) assumptions.

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arXiv2005

Comment on ``Nonextensive theory of dark matter and gas density profiles''

Self-gravitating systems with nonlocal, long-range interactions are described by nonextensive statistics. Recently, Leubner demonstrated that the nonextensivity parameter $κ$ should be negative for self-gravitating, pressureless systems, such as dark matter halos. The equation for the spherically symmetric nonextensive dark matter halos has also been derived. Here we demonstrate that this equation is identical to the classical Lane-Emden equation describing the structure of self-gravitating polytropic spheres. This establishes an intimate connection between self-gravitating polytropes and nonextensive thermostatistics. Moreover, based on this fact and observational data, we put a stronger constraint on $κ$, namely $κ<-3.4$.

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arXiv2005

Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Earth: Exploration of Atmospheric, Biological, Climatic and Biogeochemical Effects

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are likely to have made a number of significant impacts on the Earth during the last billion years. We have used a two-dimensional atmospheric model to investigate the effects on the Earth's atmosphere of GRBs delivering a range of fluences, at various latitudes, at the equinoxes and solstices, and at different times of day. We have estimated DNA damage levels caused by increased solar UVB radiation, reduction in solar visible light due to $\mathrm{NO_2}$ opacity, and deposition of nitrates through rainout of $\mathrm{HNO_3}$. For the ``typical'' nearest burst in the last billion years, we find globally averaged ozone depletion up to 38%. Localized depletion reaches as much as 74%. Significant global depletion (at least 10%) persists up to about 7 years after the burst. Our results depend strongly on time of year and latitude over which the burst occurs. We find DNA damage of up to 16 times the normal annual global average, well above lethal levels for simple life forms such as phytoplankton. The greatest damage occurs at low to mid latitudes. We find reductions in visible sunlight of a few percent, primarily in the polar regions. Nitrate deposition similar to or slightly greater than that currently caused by lightning is also observed, lasting several years. We discuss how these results support the hypothesis that the Late Ordovician mass extinction may have been initiated by a GRB.

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arXiv2005

Comment on the paper "Diffusive Synchrotron Radiation from Relativistic Shocks of Gamma-Ray Burst Sources" by G. D. Fleishman

We strongly disagree with the criticism by G. Fleishman, which has been published on the astro-ph arXiv (astro-ph/0502245), of our paper on jitter radiation from GRB shocks (Medvedev 2000, ApJ, 540, 704). In this note, we present the rebuttal of all critical points raised, demonstrating that our original paper (i) contains no errors, and (ii) correctly describes prompt GRB emission spectra.

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arXiv2004

Radiation Processes in GRBs. Prompt Emission

A substantial fraction of prompt GRB spectra have soft spectral indexes exceeding the maximum allowed by the synchrotron model alpha_{max}=-2/3. Some spectra also exhibit very sharp break at E_p, inconsistent with the smooth synchrotron spectra. These facts pose a serious problem for the ``optically thin synchrotron'' interpretation of the prompt emission. We review various models suggested in order to resolve this puzzle.

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arXiv2004

Long-time evolution of magnetic fields in relativistic GRB shocks

We investigate the long-time evolution of magnetic fields generated by the two-stream instability at ultra- and sub-relativistic astrophysical collisionless shocks. Based on 3D PIC simulation results, we introduce a 2D toy model of interacting current filaments. Within the framework of this model, we demonstrate that the field correlation scale in the region far downstream the shock grows nearly as the light crossing time, lambda(t) ~ ct, thus making the diffusive field dissipation inefficient. The obtained theoretical scaling is tested using numerical PIC simulations. This result extends our understanding of the structure of collisionless shocks in gamma-ray bursts and other astrophysical objects.

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arXiv2004

Hot Radiative Accretion onto a Spinning Neutron Star

(Abridged) A new type of self-similar hot viscous radiative accretion flow onto a rapidly spinning neutron star has recently been discovered. This ``hot brake'' flow forms in the two-temperature zone (close to a central object), but at a sufficiently low accretion rate and a high spin it may extend in the radial direction beyond ~300 Schwarzchild radii into a one-temperature zone. When the spin of the star is small enough, the flow transforms smoothly to an advection-dominated accretion flow. All gas parameters (density, angular velocity, temperature, luminosity, angular momentum flux) except for the radial velocity are independent of the mass accretion rate. The radiative efficiency may be arbitrarily large as M-dot -> 0. The gas angular momentum is transported outward under most conditions, hence the central star is nearly always spun-down. The flow is convectively stable. We also find that themal conduction in the flow is strong enough to make the flow thermally stable. The very fact that the density, temperature and angular velocity of the gas at any radius in the hot brake flow are completely independent of the outer and inner (except for the star spin) boundary conditions implies that the flow cannot be smoothly matched to a general external medium as well as to general conditions on the star surface. We demonstrate that there are two extra self-similar solutions: one bridges the gap between the original solution and the external medium, and another represents a boundary layer between the bulk of the flow and the star surface, in which the gas temperature rapidly drops while the density builds up. Finally, we briefly discuss that a hot brake flow may form around other rapidly spinning compact objects: white dwarfs and black holes.

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arXiv2004

Boundary Layer Self-Similar Solution for the Hot Radiative Accretion onto a Rapidly Spinning Neutron Star

We consider hot accretion onto a rapidly spinning neutron star (or any other compact object with a surface). A radiative hot settling flow has been discovered at low accretion rates in the early work by Medvedev & Narayan (2001) and analytical solution has been presented. It was shown later that this flow can match external medium smoothly, thus enforcing its physical feasibility. Here we complete the study of the global structure of such hot accretion by presenting the analytical solution for the boundary later, which forms between the bulk of the flow and the stellar surface. We confirm our results via full numerical solution of height-integrated two-temperature hydrodynamic equations.

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arXiv2003

Kinetics of Particles in Relativistic Collisionless Shocks

Charged plasma particles form an anisotropic counter-streaming distribution at the front of a shock. In the near- and ultra-relativistic regimes, Weibel (or two-stream) instability produces near-equipartition, chaotic, small-scale magnetic fields. The fields introduce effective collisions and "thermalize" the plasma particles via pitch-angle scattering. The properties of jitter radiation emitted by accelerated electrons from these small-scale fields are markedly different from synchrotron spectra. Here we theoretical summary and the results of recent numerical 3D PIC plasma kinetic simulations. The relation of the obtained results to the theory of gamma-ray bursts is outlined.

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arXiv2003

Self-Similar Hot Accretion onto a Spinning Neutron Star: Matching the Outer Boundary Conditions

Medvedev & Narayan have described a hot accretion flow onto a spinning neutron star in which the gas viscously brakes the spin of the star. Their self-similar solution has the surprising property that the density, temperature and angular velocity of the gas at any radius are completely independent of the outer boundary conditions. Hence, the solution cannot be matched to a general external medium. We resolve this paradoxical situation by showing that there is a second self-similar solution which bridges the gap between the original solution and the external medium. This new solution has an extra degree of freedom which permits it to match general outer boundary conditions. We confirm the main features of the analytical results with a full numerical solution.

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arXiv2003

Limits on thermal conduction in galaxy clusters

We have calculated lower limits for the global effective thermal conductivity in a sample of 165 Abell clusters. We assumed that cluster X-ray luminosity is compensated by a conductive heat flux which we then compare with an upper limit to the temperature gradient inferred from the cluster temperature and radius. This gives a lower limit to the thermal conductivity and therefore to the relative suppression from the Spitzer conductivity, kappa_{Sp}. Not a single cluster requires super-Spitzer values of thermal conduction to balance the observed X-ray luminosity. The suppression coefficient f=kappa/kappa_{Sp} is clustered in a range 10^{-2} < f < 0.4. A weak dependence of $f$ versus $z$ is observed over $ 0 < z <0.41$. Possible biases and/or selection effects are discussed.

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arXiv2003

A Constraint on Electromagnetic Acceleration of Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

The energetics of electromagnetic acceleration of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is constrained both by confinement of a particle within an acceleration site and by radiative energy losses of the particle in the confining magnetic fields. We demonstrate that the detection of ~ 3 x 10^{20} eV events is inconsistent with the hypothesis that compact cosmic accelerators with high magnetic fields can be the sources of UHECRs. This rules out the most popular candidates, namely spinning neutron stars, active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and gamma-ray burst blast waves. Galaxy clusters and, perhaps, AGN radio lobes remain the only possible (although not very strong) candidates for UHECR acceleration sites. Our analysis places no limit on linear accelerators. With the data from the future Auger experiment one should be able to answer whether a conventional theory works or some new physics is required to explain the origin of UHECRs.

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arXiv2002

Hot Settling Accretion Flow onto a Spinning Black Hole

We study the structure and properties of hot MHD accretion onto a Kerr black hole. In such a system, the hole is magnetically coupled to the inflowing gas and exerts a torque onto the accretion flow. A hot settling flow can form around the hole and transport the angular momentum outward, to the outer edge of the flow. Unlike other hot flows, such as advection- and convection-dominated flows and inflow-outflow solutions (ADAFs, CDAFs, and ADIOS), the properties of the hot settling flow are determined by the spin of the central black hole, but are insensitive to the mass accretion rate. Therefore, it may be possible to identify rapidly spinning BHs simply from their broad-band spectra. Observationally, the hot settling flow around a Kerr hole is somewhat similar to other hot flows in that they all have hard, power-law spectra and relatively low luminosities. Thus, most black hole candidates in the low/hard and, perhaps, intermediate X-ray state may potentially accrete via the hot settling flow. However, a settling flow will be somewhat more luminous than ADAFs/CDAFs/ADIOS, will exhibit high variability in X-rays, and may have relativistic jets. This suggests that galactic microquasars and active galactic nuclei may be powered by hot settling flows. We identify several galactic X-ray sources as the best candidates.

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arXiv2001

Hot Accretion onto White Dwarfs in Quiescent Dwarf Novae

We present dynamically consistent solutions for hot accretion onto unmagnetized, rotating white dwarfs (WDs) in five quiescent dwarf novae. The measured WD rotation rates (and other system parameters) in RX And, SS Cyg, U Gem, VW Hyi and WZ Sge imply spindown of the WD by an extended hot flow emitting most of its X-rays in the vicinity of the stellar surface. In general, energy advection is absent and the flow is stable to convection and hydrodynamical outflows. In rapidly rotating systems, the X-ray luminosity provides only an upper limit on the quiescent accretion rate because of substantial stellar spindown luminosity. We suggest that the presence of hot flows in quiescent dwarf novae may limit the long-term WD rotation rates to significantly sub-Keplerian values.

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arXiv2001

Thermal Conduction in Clusters of Galaxies

We estimate the thermal conductivity of a weakly collisional magnetized plasma with chaotic magnetic field fluctuations. When the fluctuation spectrum extends over two or more decades in wave-vector, we find that thermal conduction is very efficient; the conduction coefficient is only a factor ~5 below the classical Spitzer estimate. We suggest that conduction could play a significant role in cooling flows in clusters of galaxies.

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arXiv2001

Thermal Conduction and the Stability of Hot Accretion Flows

Recently, Medvedev & Narayan (2001) discovered a new type of accretion flow, a hot settling flow around a rapidly rotating neutron star. The flow is cooling-dominated and energetically similar to the Shapiro, Lightman, & Eardley (1976, SLE) solution. Since the SLE solution is known to be thermally unstable, one might suspect that the new solution would also be unstable. However, due to the very high temperature of the accreting gas, thermal conduction is very strong and could suppress the thermal instability. We analyze the role of thermal conduction in both the hot settling flow and the SLE solution. In the hot settling flow collisions are very rare. Therefore, thermal transport occurs via free streaming of electrons along tangled magnetic field lines. We find that conduction is strong enough to make the flow marginally stable. In contrast, in the cooler SLE solution, conduction is via collisional, Spitzer-type transport. In this case, conduction is weaker, and we find that the SLE solution is thermally unstable even in the presence of conduction.

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